Research
Research has fueled our work since the very beginning. From developing the world’s first home dialysis program to introducing revolutionary new treatments, our progress is rooted in the pioneering work of doctors and scientists.
Director Dr. Jonathan Himmelfarb
Recognized nationally and internationally for expertise in dialysis, Dr. Himmelfarb is the director of the Kidney Research Institute. He’s made significant contributions to leading renal societies and foundations, serving as chair of the American Society of Nephrology Dialysis Advisory Group and on the board of advisors to the American Society of Nephrology.
Dr. Jonathan Himmelfarb, director of the Kidney Research Institute.
Why is kidney research so important?
Twenty-six million adult Americans have kidney disease. That’s more than one in ten. About 468,000 of them are on dialysis. If current trends continue, there will be more than 2 million dialysis patients in the U.S. in 2030.
After one year of treatment, people on dialysis have a 20 percent mortality rate, an average that hasn’t changed since the 1980s. Those on dialysis are hospitalized on average twice per year, and this rate has not changed over time. We need to improve dialysis and that’s why we are dedicating $15 million over five years to the Center for Dialysis Innovation.
For reasons we don’t fully understand, cardiovascular disease is more frequent in people with chronic kidney disease. Most chronic kidney disease patients will not need to go on dialysis, because they are more likely to die from vascular disease first. We have no proven current therapies to lower cardiovascular risk in chronic kidney disease patients.
Compared to other serious health challenges, kidney disease has had the lowest number of randomized clinical trials over the past 35 years.
Support kidney research
We’re confident these hurdles can be overcome. Your support will help us discover new and better ways to prevent, detect and treat kidney disease.